I'm more with pup and JB. Don did grow, he is realizing the value of life and the aspects of what good can do for others. Don took part of Conrad Hilton with him. The firm did well and it wasn't all Don like Don gives the impression that he is the sole reason.

Normally I agree with you on much of this show Rich but I don't see any romantic future between Peggy and Don. She is nowhere near the type of female he goes after. Now if he makes more significant changes and loses his superficial tastes then yeah I could see him settling for her in terms of the intellectual equal he has never had. Remember he loves blondes. Otherwise Peggy is meh compared to the women he's had and can have. Don's never built anything real on his own, he sees Peggy as his masterpiece in progress.

Criminals in this town used to believe in things...honor, respect."I heard your dog is sick, so bought you this shovel"

swerb wrote:I thought the season was outstanding. I agree 100% with JB's take on Don.

I think once the contract dispute ended and Weiner signed on for three final seasons, that he approached season five more as the first 12 of the last 36 episodes more than an individual season, not knowing how many more would be left. This was a total set up season for the final two.

With the events and brilliance of the previous couple of episodes (Joan's Prostitution for Partnership, Peggy Leaving, Lane's Suicide, etc.) the finale was going to be a a bit of a let down/set-up unless Wiener threw us a total shocker.

The end scene with DD at the bar was great, IMHO. You have what seems to be sincere gratification that Megan is getting a shot at acting with that DD look after he is approached at the bar. I think we are set-up for a season of temptation for DD at the very least. I agree he has evolved into a "good guy" who has temptations/inner conflict and sometimes does bad things but we will see if that continues.

The ending with Roger hooked me in based on the fact that I still cannot tell if he is a good guy who does shitty things or just a bad guy. We saw him try to make things right financially after knocking up Joan and admitting he did ruin Jane's new apartment but that didn't know why. But he also go a BJ and Booty Call from Megan's Mom and looks to still do anything to put Pete down. Love Roger the character but still torn on if the character is a lovable guy.

Pete is a track wreck. Bad guy who will never be happy no matter what. Will be interesting to see how he reacts with Kenny, Roger, DD, Ginsberg, etc. either having out for him or rising in the ranks.

Interesting to see what they do with Joan now that Lane is gone. Was the last partner's meeting where she had to recite rules just her being an office manager or being a bigger voice in the board room. She'll obviously be divorce for Season 6, I assume.

I was worried Peggy was gone but it will be interesting how they run her storyline now. I think her and DD definitely have some sort of connection, whether that ends up romantic or strictly professional will be interesting.

FUDU wrote:Normally I agree with you on much of this show Rich but I don't see any romantic future between Peggy and Don. She is nowhere near the type of female he goes after. Now if he makes more significant changes and loses his superficial tastes then yeah I could see him settling for her in terms of the intellectual equal he has never had. Remember he loves blondes. Otherwise Peggy is meh compared to the women he's had and can have. Don's never built anything real on his own, he sees Peggy as his masterpiece in progress.

Peggy is his new Anna Draper. Don never had sex with Anna (at least as far as we know), which allowed her to be his closest friend and confidant. Peggy now has that role with Anna's death...which was all spelled out so clearly in one of the greatest episodes this show ever had; "The Suitcase".

DrPoove wrote:I think we are set-up for a season of temptation for DD at the very least. I agree he has evolved into a "good guy" who has temptations/inner conflict and sometimes does bad things but we will see if that continues.

You are apparently right, according to a "TV Guide" interview with Matt Weiner:

I can’t tell you where we’re going, but … We’ve seen how faithful he’s been — not just his conscience, when he strangles that old lover in his mind — but also in actuality. When he goes to the whorehouse, you see that he is not interested in other [women].

pup wrote:Did i miss anything that identifies the length of time between seasons?

Forget where last season left off, but they mentioned 1967 a few times last night, and it was the holidays.

I believe they mentioned Oakland and Houston playing for a chance to meet Green Bay for pro football's world championship. That game took place Dec. 31, 1967, which is consistent with the obvious indications that it was Christmastime.

Sylvia's "we have to make sure we don't fall in love" (paraphrasing) line while bleeping Don.

The Heinz Ketchup thing hooked me. Don calling off the dogs. Kenny looking like shit. Stan f'ing up and dropping the info to Peggy while Ted Chaough listened in. Peggy being put in the moral bind by Chaough to pursue the account. Interesting to see where they go with it.

motherscratcher wrote:Holy shit, I didn't realize that was Linda Cardellini until I read tvoti's review. That character just got even hotter.

I have no idea who that is so I googled her only to discover that the only thing I've ever watched her in is as Velma in the live action Scooby Doo.

So is this a Velma fetish or is there something I should be watching to determine the voracity of this claim?

I suppose I could just watch this week's episode of Mad Men to determine for myself, but I haven't decided yet if I want to or not.

EDIT - I take that back, I've seen another movie she was in, she was apparently the stupid bitch in Legally Blonde that couldn't think of a better alibi then being in the shower right after getting a perm.

Whew, this was about the same rush as in "Shut the Door, Have a Seat" (and Roger even said "Shut the door" to Don). Ironic they both came on the heels of an infamous assassination. But this one will be book ended by two shootings -- RFK will be probably be next week.

e0y2e3 wrote:Damn my decision to rewatch seasons 4 and 5 right before this season.

Did the same thing, only just season 5. And Gotta say, it really didn't matter, as other than the Joan with the Jaguar guy story line, which was ingrained in my brain, the other stories from last season are dead and gone it seems like.

Two major disappointments with the new season:1. The Pitches. Maybe it's just me, but I enjoyed the work side of the show quite a bit, including the pitches and interactions with the client. This season it just seems like there hasn't been as many. The Hawaii one, Heinz, and the half-assed Chevy one at the bar last night [which doesn't count]. How you gonna give them a major account without even letting me see the pitch?2. Didn't the show used to be funnier? I mean, dry and dark yes, but funny nonetheless. Other than court jester Roger, I just don't see it anymore. But maybe it's there and I'm just not getting it.

Other than those two relatively minor complaints, still one of my favorite shows on TV.

Sea Foam Green wrote:1. The Pitches. Maybe it's just me, but I enjoyed the work side of the show quite a bit, including the pitches and interactions with the client. This season it just seems like there hasn't been as many. The Hawaii one, Heinz, and the half-assed Chevy one at the bar last night [which doesn't count]. How you gonna give them a major account without even letting me see the pitch?

With Don, Peggy and Ted being in the same process I can see this comingback as a central point, but better. be interesting to see if Don is still the HMFIC or if he has the same fastball. And how Peggy reacts.

jb wrote:BTW - Historically the new sled is said to be the Vega. I thought it was the bitchin' camero.

Not too sure about that, b/c if this is the year 1968, MLK riots, then the Vega is still two years away. My assumption is this pitch is for a 1969 model, no? Which there were no real big splashes in 69.

If not then you're probably right, although it's a strange choice to focus on in the show, since Don mentioned the Ford Mustang success and Vega's weren't competing with those, and considering the Vega was a disaster.

Criminals in this town used to believe in things...honor, respect."I heard your dog is sick, so bought you this shovel"

jb wrote:BTW - Historically the new sled is said to be the Vega. I thought it was the bitchin' camero.

Not too sure about that, b/c if this is the year 1968, MLK riots, then the Vega is still two years away. My assumption is this pitch is for a 1969 model, no? Which there were no real big splashes in 69.

If not then you're probably right, although it's a strange choice to focus on in the show, since Don mentioned the Ford Mustang success and Vega's weren't competing with those, and considering the Vega was a disaster.

Yeah, was passing along what I read. The project number referenced on the show was the Vega.

While the Lordstown built Vega was indeed voted wosrt Detroit car in history by either R&T or C&D (cant' recall & quite a distinction over the Pinto & Monza), it was MT Car of the year in 1971. It didn't start out a disaster. FWIW.

Love this show, but have been underwhelmed by the beginning to this season. This past episode was the best one, and hopefully like season 4, this one goes strong to the finish line.

Not nearly as funny as past seasons (more Roger please). Until this past Sunday's Draper bar scene with Ted, no epic Draper moments. And just a lot of non-speaking acting from him. The whole MLK episode was just weird, hopefully they handle the Bobby Kennedy shooting a little better.

The whole Peggy battling her inner hippie vs business professional story line has been good, and figures to get even better now with the merger right after she fell for Ted. And Pete, while still annoying, has been entertaining. Phenomenal acting from the guy that plays Pete. Trudy just keeps getting hotter as he keeps bungling that marriage.

Still have no good guesses as to where this season is going. Hard to say with Don right now. Be interesting to see what they do with the Don/Peggy dynamic, with Peggy now very established as a poor womans Draper. You know Don is gonna knock her down a notch. See how that plays into Peggy falling more gaga for Ted, or for settling for the hippie wanna be handyman.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

Talk about a classic day in the office. First day, post merger. Shows up late. Skips work for a nooner at a 5* hotel with his mistress. Shows up 40 min late to a creative meeting. Then knocks out his former professional rival and new counterpart with a fifth of bourbon and trots him back out hammered before the creative team to show off his work and establish his dominance. Then heads back to the hotel and the mistress, where he continues to unleash the angst over feeling threatened professionally on Sylvia in a game of domineering submission.

Just another day at the office. I love how they keep peeling back the layers of the massively flawed Draper character.

And Roger firing Burt again was EPIC. "Not that it matters, but no one fought for you."

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

Draper can sense his world changing around him, IOW his control is over people and situations has faded. Hence, IMO, he needed to get Ted loaded for starters. Then Peggy pretty much tells him to grow up.

Criminals in this town used to believe in things...honor, respect."I heard your dog is sick, so bought you this shovel"